UFL Week 7: Brahmas pull out victory against Roughnecks
Coming down the stretch on Sunday, the Houston Roughnecks couldn’t make the game-ending play, and the result was a 15-12 victory for the San Antonio Brahmas in the United Football League on Sunday.
The Brahmas scored 12 points in the final 2:24 against Houston and won on Ryan Santoso’s 51-yard field goal on the last snap of the game.
In the other games during the seventh week of the United Football League season:
· After scoring 117 points in their first six games, the Arlington Renegades went off in the seventh for a 47-23 victory over the Memphis Showboats on Saturday. Renegades quarterbacks Luis Perez threw three touchdown passes and Lindsey Scott Jr. had one, with tight end Sal Cannella and wide receiver J.P. Payton catching two apiece. While the Showboats converted on half of their 12 third-down snaps, they also lost two fumbles and two interceptions while the Arlington offense went 6-for-8 on third down.
· Birmingham wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. turned a slant route into a 40-yard touchdown with 5:23 to play for the third lead change of the fourth quarter in the Stallions’ 30-26 victory over the St. Louis Battlehawks on Saturday. Birmingham still had to survive a blocked punt in the final minute to remain the league’s only undefeated team. Stallions quarterback Adrian Martinez completed 21-of-33 passes for 230 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and ran seven times for 60 yards.
· In a game dominated by the defenses, Michigan running back Matthew Colburn II ran for 137 yards on 16 carries in the Panthers’ 22-9 victory over the D.C. Defenders on Sunday. The teams combined to convert 4-of-21 third-down snaps and went 0-of-3 on fourth-down attempts. But Michigan scored touchdowns on its first two possessions, with Colburn contributing runs of 23 and 53 yards on the first scoring series. In his first game for the Panthers, Bryce Perkins got most of the action at quarterback, completed 11-of-13 passes for 116 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and ran twice for 13 yards. D.C. QB Jordan Ta’amu did not return to the game after getting sacked by Breeland Speaks in the third quarter.
The Week 7 results clinched a playoff berth for the Panthers, who will join the Stallions in the USFL Conference half of the United Football League semifinals.
The Roughnecks had a 12-3 lead on four field goals by J.J. Molson, including a 62-yarder, when San Antonio went on an 18-play, 62-yard touchdown drive. During the series, running back John Lovett picked up 2 yards on fourth-and-1 at the Houston 36-yard line. On fourth-and-goal at the Roughnecks 1, defensive tackle Keonte Schad got a facemask penalty after quarterback Kevin Hogan was stacked up for no gain.
Lovett then scored from 1 yard out with 2:24 to play, and Hogan’s 3-point conversion pass to tight end Cody Latimer allowed San Antonio to tie the game even though it had lost fumbles at the Houston 3 and 12 to end its first two possessions, set up a Houston field goal with a fumble on its 25 and thrown an interception.
After the Brahmas tied the game, cornerback Bryce Thompson caused Houston wide receiver Reggie Robertson Jr. to fumble on the kickoff return, and cornerback Teez Tabor recovered for San Antonio at the Roughnecks 43-yard line.
The Brahmas handed off to Lovett five times, including for a 6-yard gain on third-and-4 before Santoso came on to kick the winning field goal.
Twenty-two players from Alabama high schools and colleges are on United Football League rosters:
Arlington Renegades 47, Memphis Showboats 23
· Showboats wide receiver Dee Anderson (Alabama A&M) had two receptions for 22 yards.
· Renegades tight end Sal Cannella (Auburn) had nine receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Cannella started the scoring with a 9-yard reception from quarterback Lindsay Scott Jr. with 8:44 left in the first quarter and scored on a 4-yard reception from quarterback Luis Perez as Arlington took a 47-17 lead with 9:19 remaining. Cannella also caught a 2-point conversion pass after the Renegades’ second touchdown.
· Showboats defensive tackle Connor Christian (Jacksonville State) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Showboats cornerback T.J. Green (Sylacauga) made four tackles.
· Renegades defensive lineman Davonte Lambert (Auburn) made four tackles and recorded two tackles for loss.
· Showboats linebacker TJ Neal (Auburn) made four tackles.
· Showboats tight end Wes Saxton Jr. (Hueytown, South Alabama) did not record any stats.
· Showboats tight end Jay Jay Wilson (Auburn) had a 14-yard reception and made two tackles on special teams.
Birmingham Stallions 30, St. Louis Battlehawks 26
· Stallions guard Deonte Brown (Austin, Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Battlehawks quarterback AJ McCarron (St. Paul’s Episcopal, Alabama) completed 19-of-32 passes for 161 yards with one touchdown and one interception and ran twice for 24 yards. McCarron threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to running back Jacob Saylors as St. Louis took a 20-17 lead with 6:17 left in the third quarter.
· Battlehawks quarterback Brandon Silvers (Gulf Shores, Troy) did not play.
· Stallions wide receiver Marlon Williams (McGill-Toolen) had four receptions for 41 yards and one touchdown and a 5-yard run. Williams was uncovered in the end zone when he caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Adrian Martinez as Birmingham took a 23-20 lead with 12:20 remaining. Williams also scored a 2-point conversion on an end-around as the Stallions went ahead 17-11 with 16 seconds left in the first half.
Michigan Panthers 22, D.C. Defenders 9
· Defenders defensive lineman T.J. Barnes (Enterprise) made one tackle.
· Defenders long snapper/tight end Trae Barry (Spanish Fort, Jacksonville State) did not record any stats.
· Panthers outside linebacker De’Gabriel Floyd (Alabama A&M) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Panthers defensive tackle Garrett Marino (UAB) did not record any stats.
San Antonio Brahmas 15, Houston Roughnecks 12
· Roughnecks linebacker Christopher Allen (Alabama) made three tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
· Roughnecks tight end Braedon Bowman (South Alabama) did not record any stats.
· Cam Carter (Minor) started at left offensive tackle for the Roughnecks.
· Roughnecks linebacker Reuben Foster (Auburn High, Alabama) made one tackle and forced one fumble. On first-and-goal at the Houston 3-yard line on San Antonio’s first possession, Foster tackled John Lovett for a 1-yard loss and caused the Brahmas running back to fumble, with the Roughnecks recovering the football. Foster left the game in the first half with an injury but later returned.
· Roughnecks tight end A.J. Lewis (Murphy, Alabama State/Troy) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Brahmas offensive lineman John Yarbrough (Homewood) did not record any stats.
In Week 8 games:
· The Showboats (1-6) and Panthers (5-2) square off at 3 p.m. CDT Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit. FOX will televise the game.
· The Roughnecks (1-6) and Stallions (7-0) meet at 7 p.m. Saturday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. ESPN2 will televise the game.
· The Defenders (3-4) and Battlehawks (5-2) play at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. ABC will televise the game.
· The Renegades (1-6) and Brahmas (5-2) face off at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. FOX will televise the game.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.